ABC STATELINE REPORT ABOUT THE COLAC LIBRARY ISSUE 17TH OF APRIL 09

The Colac Library issue featured on the ABC TV program Stateline on Friday 17th April 09
Some interesting comments were made in this report with Cr. Chris Smiths misleading claim as to the size of the proposed JUL being four times the size of the current Library as well as making the misrepresentation that the community would not be expected to use a School Library contrary to what is actually stated in the JUL agreement. And Mayor Brian Crook reinforcing the fact that the new Council has a Mandate to Save Colac Library and highlighting, once again, Minister for education Bronwyn Pikes signing of the agreement two weeks after the people had spoken on the issue at the 2008 Colac Otway Shire Local Government Elections and on the very same day that the new Council met to end their involvement with the JUL.
But where were the following supporters / promoters of the JUL?
Mr. Jeffrey Johnson [Colac Secondary School President]?
Mr. Richard Cooper [Colac Secondary School Principal]?
Mr. Mark McCallum [Colac College School Council JUL Instigator from 2005]?
Mr. Henry Bongers [of BDH Constructions and Colac College School President for approx 11 years including from 2005-2007, who was awarded the contract by DEECD to build the new School along with the JUL, despite previous indications being given that he would not tender for the project]?
Professor Peter Dawkins [Dept Head of DEECD, who is a strong advocate of user pays and for the private sector being involved in public education]?
MP. Bronwyn Pike [Minister for Education, who refused Statelines request for an interview and failed to answer their direct questions]?
Why would none of them appear or even comment on the program?
Was it because the leading Joint-Use Library expert in Australia, Dr. Alan Bundy, pointed the finger firmly at the previous Colac Otway Shire Council for not even carrying out Community Consultation [in other words the people of Colac Otway Shire were never even asked if they wanted a JUL] and repeated his warnings that without Community support the future prospects of any JUL are endangered. Remember, Dr. Alan Bundy was engaged as a consultant by the former Council with regard to this JUL idea. Yet as we know, the previous Council ignored all his advice!
Dr. Bundy stated in the program that there are enough concerns in the Community to warrant actually a suspension of any further action, and that it would be most unwise to proceed with the JUL at this stage, because he now fears for its future, and Colac or Victoria cant afford to have another JUL which is in fact a failure.
After viewing this report, it is obvious that the experts agree with the overwhelming majority of residents and voters in the Colac Otway Shire in relation to the proposed JUL.
Paul David Cross, Publicity Officer, F.O.C.L. Inc. [Friends of Colac Library]

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[savecolaclibrarynow]

The New Joint use "School" Library will have only FOUR computers in it specifically for PUBLIC USE which is exactly what is already in our current PUBLIC LIbrary. The Colac Otway Shire Council stole YOUR Public Library and will now refurbish it for their own use[ office space] spending huge amounts of YOUR money, infact the Council will spend over one Million Dollars on "office refurbishment" in the Budget. They Broke thier MANDATE and will force 67,000 "random" people in to a SCHOOL Library!

[savecolaclibrarynow]

The truth is that a number of assaults have already taken place at the new School and they were not made public as is the case with most assaults, I know about the assaults because I spoke with the Vice Principal and he informed me himself, I did not go public to protect the children involved, and this is with out the 60,000 plus people a year going in to School grounds. I was involved in Security for 18 years and worked with police the really bad stuff doesn't get reported in the media!

[savecolaclibrarynow]

They are everywhere and this makes the JUL worse because it is mandatory for Children to attend School as opposed to an indoor tennis centre, or a ten pin bowling alley where the responsibility for Childrens welfare is with their Parent or Guardian. IN the JUL 60,000 people a year will have direct acces to 900 Students and given that the JUL is on School ground and is a School Library the Children must use it, unlike the Bowling alley, or indoor Tennis centre. Why invite trouble?

[savecolaclibrarynow]

Bronwyn Pike would not come out and comment! Why? because she knows about the new Council's Mandate and how powerful a Mandate is!

[djc0248]

certain people in this town do not know how to tell the truth - we see them entering the otway shire council building every day.

[djc0248]

as for children being more switched on - yes their switched on as to how they can get any thing they if they play their cards right - e.g. illegal substances etc. and the JUL would be heaven sent for these people - don't bury your head in the sand parents of children in colac and district - illegal substances are aready available and the JUL have a readily supply of young children looking for what they think is a harmless bit of fun!!!!!!!!!!!! Be warned.

[thedooma]

But i think the library would be supervised and colac is filled with great people who would quickly catch on if something was going on. Also i think kids now days are more switched on and would notify an adult if there was someone like that around. Thanks for the reply

[thedooma]

I disagree with Paul Crosses comments regarding GROOMING. It's no different than taking your kids to the Colac Show or the park. Sexual predators are everywhere!!!!